'26/11 terrorists trained by Pak army officers'

Mumbai, Mar 9: As the final argument of the 26/11 trial began on Tuesday, Mar 9, the prosecution opened the argument by citing the hand of the Pakistani Army behind the gruesome attack.

"The conspiracy of the 26/11 attack was hatched on Pakistan soil and inevitable inference can be drawn that the attack was state-sponsored," Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam argued.

The prosecution argued that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist in the Mumbai terrorist attacks, and nine other militants had undergone military and intelligence training at the hands of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), under the supervision of the certain officers of the Pakistan Army.

"Kasab in his confession has said one Major General was present during their training and had supervised them. The name of the General was deliberately not revealed to the attackers as he occupies a senior position in the Army," Nikam said.

He said that Pakistan was making a deliberate attempt to conceal its involvement in the terror attack, adding that the main conspirators had instructed the terrorists against revealing their true identity and nationality.

“The attackers were given fake identity cards under fictitious Indian names. One of the terrorist Imran Babbar had contacted a TV news channel and had claimed that he was from Hyderabad in India," Nikam argued.

“Till date Pakistan has refused to take responsibility for the attacks and has not yet claimed the bodies of the nine slain terrorists," the prosecutor added.

The prosecution argued that the the VOIP accounts which was opened before the attacks were paid by a Pakistani national by name Mohammad Iqbal.

Concerning the two arrested Indian nationals - Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, Nikam said that two accussed were aware of the conspiracy, inspite of their role being limited to preparing and supplying maps of the terror sites to LeT.

Kasab, Ansari and Ahmed are facing trial in connection with the 26/11 terror attack case, in which 166 persons were killed and several others injured.

The proceedings were attended by Maharashtra State Home Minister R. R. Patil and Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe.